Demand for heat pumps is said to be growing, but there are still many consumers who aren’t displaying an appetite for switching from gas boilers. The UK is still lagging behind other European countries when it comes to choosing heat pumps, but why is this and what is likely to change the current dynamic?
Grants versus appetite
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has increased grants for heat pumps by 50 per cent, making it one of the most generous schemes of its kind in Europe. And yet, there are currently only around 412 air source heat pumps Worcester and elsewhere in the UK per 100,000 people. In Europe, in comparison, this figure is around 3,068 per 100,000.
These figures show that Britain still has a long way to go to reach the Climate Change Act targets of installing 600,000 heat pumps by 2028 and to help achieve net-zero targets of 1.6 million homes a year switching to using air pumps by 2035.
Why the reluctance?
Despite the grants and the efficiency benefits of air source heat pumps from suppliers such as GSM Limited, industry research suggests that some people are still wary of the cost of switching. There is also an issue with overall customer demand and a lack of experienced engineers.
What is the government doing?
In a bid to overcome these barriers, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme where applicants can get £7,500 towards water source, ground source, and air source heat pumps is still available from the UK government. These heat pumps will typically cost from £7,000 to £14,000 to install and buy.
The Heat Pump Association believes that more needs to be done, however. Olivia Smalley, its head of policy and communication, is calling on the government to do better at familiarising people with what heat pumps are and the efficiency benefits they can offer. Some energy companies are also offering electricity tariffs to heat pump users to assist with the running costs.
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